Simon Says
by 1truelove
Summary: It is all a game. Or is it? A mysterious character decides to play Simon Says with Clark and his family & friends. In this game if you don't listen you could lose your life. Clois
1. The Game Begins

**Title: Simon Says   
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Really, nothing.  
Spoilers: None so far. If that changes there will be fair warning.  
Setting: Takes place after Reckoning. Doesn't really follow the Smallville plotlines at all though.  
**

_A/N:I am still working hard on Chick Flick. I just thought I would post the other Smallville fic that I have started recently. I will try to alternate between updating this and Chick Flick so that neither story gets neglected. Enjoy and please review when you finish!_

_Also- The song used in this chapter is called Take It Off by the Donnas. As I said in the disclaimer 'I own nothing.'_

**Simon Says**

_**Chapter 1**_

_**The Game Begins**_

Lois and Clark stared intently at the computer screen waiting impatiently for it to finish loading their search results. As soon as the page appeared, Clark began to speed read through the plentiful hits that appeared about their search topic. He was interrupted by a small chuckle from beside him. He looked down at Lois who had her hand over her mouth trying to suppress a smile from forming on her face. She wasn't succeeding.

"Yes?" Clark questioned curiously.

Lois looked up guiltily and offered an explanation. "It's nothing really. Look at the advertisement at the head of the page. It is an add looking for single Catholic women searching for possible dates. I highly doubt the church would approve of the whole internet speed dating thing." Lois chuckled again.

Clark looked at her and smiled. "You are easily amused Lois."

"What? You don't find Catholic speed dating the slightest bit funny?" Lois asked seriously.

Clark just smirked and continued to skim the page.

After a few minutes of silence, Lois closed the page and sighed. "Remind me again why we're randomly searching the internet?"

"Oh, that would be because you had to make some stupid bet with Chloe about, what was it again? Oh, the outcome of the latest reality show. You lost the said bet, and somehow managed to get the both of us stuck doing pointless research to help Chloe with her latest article for the Planet. Chloe on the other hand, won the bet and gets to stay home watching movies and eating my mother's apple pie. That would be why we are here instead of at the farm with apple pie in our stomachs." Clark replied with irritation.

"You make it sound like you had no part in that bet Smallville. You said you would assist the loser in whatever challenge they would have to overcome in exchange for you being able to change the channel before the next reality show came on. You brought it all on yourself, so stop the whining."

"You brought the subject up Lois. Don't blame me for not having the time of my life searching for temperature variations in Smallville and the surrounding areas while I could be out doing something remotely interesting. Why did Chloe have to give us such a lame and boring punishment? I thought that it would be something like buying her those new, expensive shoes that she has been asking for since last month."

"Oh, since you brought that up, you owe me twenty five dollars for those shoes. I bought them as a birthday gift for her from the both of us. By the way, what could you possibly be doing that would ever classify itself as interesting, Smallville?" Lois inquired hoping that the remark about the shoes would be overlooked.

"Wow, thanks for telling me about them in advance Lois. It was mighty kind of you." Clark replied sarcastically trying hard not to react to her latter statement.

"Oh shut up, you know we would have ended up buying them for her anyway. She keeps giving us hints about how comfortable they were when she tried them on, and how worn and beaten her old ones are." Lois replied with a knowing look.

"Fine, I will give you the money as soon as we get back to the farm." Clark grumbled.

"Good Clarkie." Lois responded with a fake smile.

"I think we've gathered enough information for today. Why don't you head back to the farm and tell Chloe we're almost done with her aggravating research. I'll finish putting all these books away and be home after I finish picking up some things from the store for my mom. Is that alright by you?"

Lois began to rise to her feet and wobbled, since her legs were stiff from hours of sitting and doing research. As she was about to ungracefully fall to the ground, Clark grabbed her arm and steadied her stance. Lois smiled weakly as she extricated herself from his grasp and stood up fully composed. "Uh, thanks Smallville. I guess I'll see you back at the farm. Hopefully my cousin didn't eat all of the pie on us."

Clark watched her as she walked swiftly out of Smallville's cramped, local library. "Well at least she makes sure things are never dull in my life." he muttered to himself as he gathered up the books and files that they had scattered across two small tables. Before he left, Clark went to turn off the computer that he and Lois had been using. To his surprised, an instant message had popped up on the screen.

**_Simon: Hello Mr. Kent. How is your evening tonight?" _**

****Clark stared blankly at the computer. He had no idea who this Simon person was, and why he would know his name. Curious, Clark typed back a wary reply.

**_Smallville: Who might you be, and how did you get my screen name?" _**

****Clark waited a few moments and already a reply was posted.

**_Simon: I am Simon. How I acquired your screen name is irrelevant. How is your evening going Mr. Kent? _**

Clark quickly typed back his response.

_**Smallville: I believe that question is also irrelevant Simon. Why do you care so much?**_

_**Simon: I was just inquiring because I thought you looked rather bored. **_

Clark searched across the library to find out where Simon was lurking, but realized that he was completely alone except for the librarian, who was nowhere near a computer. Confusion swept over Clark. He couldn't imagine how this weirdo could see him.

_**Smallville: Where are you? **_

_**Simon: Oh, that doesn't matter. I'm practically everywhere. So, Mr. Kent, are you as bored as you look?**_

_**Smallville: I'm tired and I'm ready to go home now. Sorry I can't chat some more, I have better things to do with my time.**_

Clark sent his reply and was about to shut the computer off when Simon's reply popped up onto the screen.

_**Simon: Of course you do. Forgive me from preoccupying you. I'm sure you will have a very busy night with the chemical that is being released and all...**_

_**Smallville: What are you talking about? What chemical? **_

_**Simon: You'll see. You won't be bored for long Mr. Kent. The game has just begun. Get ready to play Simon Says.**_

_**Smallville: I'm not much for games. You'll have to play by yourself. **_

_**Simon: The game doesn't work that way Mr. Kent. What I say goes. You don't have a choice in the matter.**_

_**Smallville: No thanks. I think I will be going now. **_

_**Simon: Just wait. The game is just getting started. **_

****Clark yanked the computer plug out of the socket and the screen went black. Whoever this Simon was, he wasn't going to bother him anymore. Clark made a mental note to block the screen name the next time he logged on. Clark gathered his items, glanced around the library one last time to make sure he hadn't overlooked the internet psycho, and strolled out of the library and into the nearby grocery store.

As Lois was pulling up to the farm, Clark had just bought the items his mother had requested before they left for the library that morning. Deciding that he had time to kill before he could show up at home with the groceries, Clark chose to go for a stroll around the fields to get some fresh air. He quickly checked to make sure no one else was around before speeding off down the road.

As he sped through the local corn fields, Clark noticed that everything looked abnormally pink tonight as the sun set against the Kansas sky. It looked as if it was colored like an Easter egg. The sky was illuminated brightly and not one cloud blocked the view of the setting sun. Clark went up to the top of the nearest hill, and sat down to watch the sun finally set. He laid back on the grass and gazed up into the pink sky. Clark couldn't help himself, the calm evening, the fresh air, and the beautiful view drifted him off to sleep. It wasn't until almost two hours later that he woke up with a jolt.

He couldn't believe that he had fallen asleep. His mother, Lois, and Chloe were probably wondering where he was. If it weren't for the nightmare he had just had, he probably would have spent the whole night sleeping on the hill. The nightmare had been a strange one too. In the dream he had sped home to the farm and a scary faceless man was blocking his way. The man seemed to grow until he towered over Clark and started raving about playing Simon Says. Clark could see the faces of his mother, and his friends inside the house and couldn't get past the faceless man. The house seemed to burst into flames as the figure shouted "It's time to play!" At that point Clark had woken up back on the hill.

"Wow, that Simon must have affected me more than I thought." Clark muttered to himself as he stood up from his position on the hill and picked up the groceries. With one last look at the now dark, hazy sky, Clark sped off towards the farm.

As he approached Clark could hear booming music radiating from the house and could see lights on in practically every room. It appeared as if they had decided to throw a party in his absence. "At least they weren't too worried about me." Clark chuckled as he entered the front door.

As soon as he opened the door, the music that was booming inside radiated out into the yard, scaring any poor creature that might have been scurrying about. Clark slowly walked in, trying to grasp what exactly he was seeing in front of him.

Empty alcohol bottles littered the floor. Various brands of wine coolers that Clark had never seem before also were scattered in piles around the room. Anyone would think that it would have taken close to a full bar of people to consume that much alcohol, but in reality it was just four very drunk women and one tipsy Shelby.

_**I'm on my second drink  
But I've had a few before...**_

Clark's eyes opened wide in astonishment. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The room had been cleared of most of the furniture and the lights radiated off the floor. In one corner of the room Lana sat in a collapsible chair dressed in a long, bright pink nightie that hung down around her neck exposing way too much cleavage. Lana was swaying to the music while leaning over to another collapsible chair in which Martha Kent sat drinking a berry wine cooler laughing and singing to the music. Martha seemed oblivious to what Lana was doing behind her back. Martha's long red hair was falling gently to the ground as Lana snipped the ends with a sharp scissor. By the time Clark had entered the room, his mother's hair was lying in a pile beneath Lana's chair mixed in with what appeared to be other people's hair. Lana's hair had also been cut jaggedly to her shoulders.

Clark darted over to the women who were oblivious to his presence and continued about their business. Clark grabbed Lana's wrist and made her drop the scissors to the floor. Martha's hair was chopped from it's normal length to close to the bottom of her ears. Stray pieces of the hair drifted down from her shoulders and clung to her yellow nightgown.

"Hey." Lana pouted childishly as she tried to get the scissors from the floor. Instead Lana tumbled off her chair and landed on the ground with a loud thud. She had knocked herself unconscious on the hard floor.

Clark went to see if Lana was alright when he heard smashing coming from the kitchen and noticed that his mother had disappeared. He scooped Lana up into his arms and set her down on the couch in hopes that she would stay there for awhile.

He ran into the kitchen and found that his mother had opened all of the cabinets and drawers along with the refrigerator and freezer. Martha Kent appeared to be making a concoction of chocolate syrup, spaghetti, marshmallows, chicken soup, and frozen pretzel bites, along with vinegar and ginger ale. Things were splattered everywhere and bowls were lying smashed on the floor. "Hi honey, want some pizza?" Martha yelled above the music and smiled happily at her perplexed son.

"Pizza?" Clark gaped.

"It has your favorite toppings." Martha encouraged.

"Mom I think you need to sit down." Clark suggested in hopes to make her stop raiding the kitchen.

"No! I have to cook!" Martha screamed in shock at Clark's request. She then grabbed more spaghetti and plopped it into the mixture causing sauce to splash onto her nightgown and her newly cut hair. This didn't seem to faze Martha and she continued to laugh manically like a giddy teenager.

"Okay, you cook then." Clark spoke slowly as he backed away to assess the rest of the damage. _'At least I know where she is'_ he thought to himself as he continued through the house.

Thinking things couldn't possibly get any crazier Clark entered the next room to check on Lana. He found Chloe, still with her regular haircut, jumping up and down on the couch where he had laid Lana only minutes before. Now Lana was sprawled half on, half off of the couch still out cold.

Chloe continued to jump up and down on the couch, her long, white T-shirt flying up around her waist, while screaming above the music. "Lana, wake up! Lana, wake up! Lana, wake up! I want a haircut! I want a haircut! Give me a haircut!"

Clark moved to drag Chloe off of the couch, but he was intercepted by the only person he hadn't found yet. Lois.

Lois was dressed in a flowing black dress that clung to her figure. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail (her hair had also been cut by the scissor happy Lana because it was now many inches shorter) and she was dancing barefoot on the floor spinning around watching the bottom of her dress swirl as she spun.

Lois ended spinning right into Clark and he barely caught her before she went crashing to the floor.

"Lois?" Clark asked as she relaxed in his grasp. She smiled at him in a daze and hiccupped, which caused her to giggle with glee.

Clark couldn't understand how she could have possibly gotten so drunk in such a short span of time.

"Hi, Clark." Lois replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to his chest. "Dance with me." she commanded seductively.

_**I'm tryin' hard to think  
And I think that I want you on the floor  
Uh huh, yeah on the floor!**_

Lois pulled Clark away from the couch and started to spin and dance with him while staring adoringly into his eyes.

"You're so hot." she giggled.

Clark stared down at her dumbstruck as she continued to spin with him.

"What did you just say?" he asked slowly making sure that he heard what he thought he had heard.

"I said you're so hot." Lois repeated as she pulled at Clark's shirt trying to pull it off of his head.

"Lois, what are you doing?" Clark pushed her away.

"Come on, have some fun." Lois answered and pulled him back into her embrace.

**_Go on and take it off  
Take it off!  
You gotta shake it off baby, for me  
C'mon and break me off  
Break me off!  
'Cause I get what I want and I like what I see_**

"Lois I don't think you are thinking clearly right now. Maybe you should sit down for a little while and tell me what happened while I was gone." Clark pleaded while trying to get her to sit down on a chair.

"No! I must dance!" Lois yelled at him. "I have to dance! Please dance with me Clark."

Clark saw a flash of fear in Lois's eyes that he didn't understand. However, as soon as he saw the flash it disappeared and Lois was again pulling him to the dance floor. He stared at her helplessly trying to figure out what had come over everyone as she swayed sexily around him flashing him her bright smile, and rubbing her hands up and down his body.

_**Need your love 1,2,3  
Stop starin' at my D cup  
Don't waste time, just give it to me  
C'mon baby, just feel me up  
C'mon, just give it up**_

Clark continued to dance with the intoxicated Lois while Chloe proceeded to jump from the couch to other random furniture that had been scattered around the house. He could still hear his mother clanging around making 'pizza', and Lois continued to caress his chest until she finally ripped his T-shirt right off of him. "Lois!" he shouted as she laughed with glee.

"You are so hot Clark. I love you. Dance with me." Lois swirled around and threw herself into Clark's arms and continued to dance.

**_Go on and take it off  
Take it off!  
You gotta shake it off baby, for me  
C'mon and break me off  
Break me off!  
'Cause I get what I want and I like what I see_**

The room continued to spin and Clark's head spun with confusion about what was going on in his house. Lana had awoken and pulled herself up from the floor. She darted off into the kitchen and came back with more wine coolers. She skipped up to the dancing Lois and Clark and curtsied before pressing one of the bottles up to Clark's lips.

"Drink." she commanded and tipped the bottle back causing the wine to drip down his neck. She became irritated and tried again, this time with more force. "Drink!"

Clark pushed the bottle away but it only seemed to enrage Lana. She began to pout and stamped her feet on the ground. "Drink!"

"Fine." Clark caved in to appease his drunken friend.

_**Forget the application...  
You're the right guy for the task  
Let me take you on vacation  
Just do it, you don't have to ask!**_

As soon as Clark finished off the wine cooler Lana scampered away to search for her scissors. Lois was preoccupied trying to lick the wine off of Clark's chest and Clark was trying to push her away.

"What's wrong Clark? Have fun with us. It is all part of the game." Lois looked up at him, her eyes dancing with lust.

The words struck a chord with Clark's mind. "What game Lois?"

"Don't be silly." Lois replied as she continued to lick his chest to get every last drop of the berry wine cooler. "You know the game." Lois pushed him onto the couch and pinned him down. Clark was resisting pushing her off until she finished answering his question.

**_Go on and take it off  
Take it off!  
You gotta shake it off baby, for me  
C'mon and break me off  
Break me off!  
'Cause I get what I want and I like what I see  
Take it off  
Take it off!  
Take it off baby, for me_**

Lois smiled seductively at him as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "You'll love the game."

"Lois what game is it?" Clark pleaded.

"Shhh!" Lois put a finger to his lips and continued to whisper in his ear. "Simon Says." Lois's lips then crashed into his and she began kissing him fiercely as the music suddenly stopped and all of the lights went black.

**_Take it off  
Take it off!  
Take it off baby, for me_**


	2. The Morning After

_A/N:I am still working hard on Chick Flick. Chapter 4 will be up hopefully tomorrow. I ended up making it really long (6200 words/ 14 pages) lol. If you are enjoying this fic and haven't read Chick Flick yet, I think you might enjoy that one too. I loved the reviews. That you all so much. Enjoy this next update and please review when you finish!_

**Simon Says**

**_Chapter 2_**

_**The Morning After**_

Lois Lane shifted her position in her sleep and groaned softly. She felt so exhausted and unusually sore. She wanted to sleep the day away, but something stirred her from her peaceful slumber. She was moving.

It wasn't drastic movement but it was something nonetheless. She opened up her eyes slowly and looked up into the face of none other than Clark Kent. Lois liked Clark, she really did. They had become even closer since his father died and she was willing to admit to herself that she might find him the slightest bit attractive (even though she would never admit it to anyone else).Through the time that they had been friends, they had occasionally fallen asleep on each other during one of their late night movie marathons, but this was a little too close for comfort.

"What the hell?" Lois croaked in shock.

Lois's movements had awakened Clark from his state of sleep and now he was staring back at her. "Lois?"

Lois furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "How did we get here?"

"I have no idea. I swear." Clark responded in equal confusion.

Lois stared into his eyes warily, but then decided that he was in fact being completely truthful in his ignorance of how they had gotten in this unusual situation.

"Please tell me that you have clothes on." Lois asked with pleading eyes. "Tell me that it isn't my dress slung over the ceiling fan." she winced as she looked in his eyes waiting for an answer she already knew.

"Uh…I…what?" Clark stuttered as he stared around the room in confusion. It looked like an earthquake had hit the Kent home. Bottles were strewn everywhere and articles of clothing were thrown throughout the living room.

Lois rolled her eyes at his answer and let her hands rest on the thin blanket that was covering the two of them. She looked down at the blanket uncertainly. "Do I really want to see what is under here?" she voiced to no one in particular.

Clark continued to stare at Lois in wide eyed astonishment. He was too shocked to utter anything that would be considered normal at that time. Lois decided to plow through her apprehensions and get it over with. With one final pained look she yanked the blanket up.

"Oh shit." Clark finally spoke.

"I did not just need to see that." Lois groaned while pulling the blanket securely around both of their bodies and leaning her head onto Clark's bare chest.

"How?" Clark began to slip back into his world of incomprehensible phrases.

"How should I know?" she replied in shock before finally realizing just whose chest she had rested her head on. She jumped up off the couch as if she had been struck by lightning, taking the blanket with her.

"Lois." Clark gasped while grabbing for the blanket she had in her clutches.

"Oh!" Lois yelped seeing why removing the blanket wasn't the smartest thing to do. She then whipped the blanket back at him while diverting her gaze to the floor. She did not need to see any more of Clark Jr.

"Uh, Lois? I think you forgot something." Clark spoke in embarrassment with his eyes now diverted to the floor and his face beet red. Lois finally caught on to what Clark meant and tried to yank the blanket back into her possession. This time however, Clark wasn't so willing to let go.

Lois and Clark were in an unusual game of tug-o-war, with Lois pulling one direction and Clark sitting on the couch refusing to let go. With one swift yank, Clark tried to claim the blanket as his own and accidentally sent Lois flying back on top of him. Lois and Clark were amidst the tangles of the blanket when they were interrupted by two other members of the insanity of the previous night.

"Ahem." Chloe coughed loudly to gain their attention.

Both Clark and Lois's head shot up at once in horror as they realized that they were not alone. Standing before them was Lana and Chloe who both looked equally horrified.

"Oh my god." Lana squeaked in a shrilly high pitched voice.

Chloe's eyes grew wide as she stared in confusion at her cousin and her best friend. "Well at least we weren't the only ones that did something uh…different last night."

Chloe turned to Lana, whose face was covered in what appeared to be black marker and who still had her wacky hairdo. Chloe's own appearance wasn't much better. She had received the haircut she had wanted so badly. Chloe's hair was missing a few patches and had somehow been dyed bright blue. Chloe's face also appeared to be equally blue.

Chloe and Lana continued to gape at Lois and Clark who were gaping back at them.

"Lana, you look like a doodle." Clark tried to say calmly but ended up suppressing a flood of laughter. Lana glared at Clark for having the audacity to say something about her predicament.

"I'm related to a smurf." Lois stated simply.

Chloe rolled her eyes in irritation and glanced around the room. "Lois, I think you left your panties on the television, but I'm sure Clark will get them for you." she smirked back at her cousin.

"What happened to us?" Lana squeaked again.

"From the looks of all of the empty wine coolers, I think we got pretty wasted." Lois spoke somberly. "For some reason I don't remember even having one."

"Something is seriously going on here." Chloe concluded only to receive 'duh' looks from her three friends.

"Why would Mrs. Kent let us drink all of this alcohol?" Lana pondered.

"Wait, where is my mom?" Clark said with newfound panic in his voice.

"Uh…I don't know." Chloe responded. "Lana and I will go look for her while you two 'get descent'."

As soon as Chloe and Lana left the room, Lois and Clark returned to staring warily at each other. "At the count of three you look left and I'll look right and if we find any of each other's clothing in our directions we whip it over our shoulders. Sound good?" Lois stratigized.

"Good." Clark responded. "One, two, three." They both began to search the room redressing at warp speed. As Clark stumbled upon his tattered T-shirt, he heard Lois sigh from behind him.

"Is everything okay?" he asked with general concern.

"No." Lois grumbled.

"Can I turn around and help you?"

"Hold on." Lois muttered as she wrapped the blanket around her waist. "You may turn around now.

Clark was now completely dressed, minus the T-shirt, but Lois stood impatiently below the ceiling fan. "Do you mind getting my dress down from the fan?" Lois growled as politely as possible.

Clark reached up above her head and disentangled the black dress from the fan. As soon as it was back in Lois's hands, she immediately motioned for him to turn around again. When she finished pulling up the dress she turned to look at Clark apprehensively.

"Where's your shirt Smallville?"

"I was just about to ask you that." Clark replied holding up the remains of his T-shirt. "It looks like you mauled it."

Lois's face immediately turned a shade of pink as she grabbed the T-shirt from his hands. "Must have gotten carried away." she looked up at him meekly.

"We must have been seriously out of it." Clark replied.

"I think we are going to need to talk about this." Lois stated while still looking at the mangled T-shirt.

"Yeah, but I think it is going to have to wait a little bit." Clark replied as Lana, Chloe, and a disheveled looking Martha Kent slowly entered the room.

Martha Kent had passed out in the kitchen and ended up spending the night face first in her 'pizza'. She looked awful and had sauce stained all over her face and nightgown.

"What happened?" Martha asked in a daze while looking curiously at Lois who was staring guiltily at her feet.

"That's what we're trying to find out Mrs. Kent." Chloe answered.

Martha looked up at Chloe appreciatively and walked over to the couch to sit down to relax while they tried to figure out what had happened the night before.

"Don't!" Lois and Clark yelled simultaneously at Martha causing her to jump up in surprise. Both Lois and Clark suppressed looks of utter horror. Neither of them was comfortable with Martha sitting on that couch. If Lois had her way, there would be a couch bonfire happening in the near future.

"What?" she asked in panic and confusion over their outburst.

"Uh…the couch is broken?" Clark supplied hoping that she would refrain from asking too many questions. His mother looked at him oddly, wondering why he was acting so strange.

"It doesn't look broken." she responded as she went to check on the status of the couch.

"Oh, but it is." Lois replied convincingly while blocking her from touching the couch. "Structural damage. If you sit down, it collapses to the floor. It is very unstable." Lois shot an urgent, pleading look at Clark hoping that he would contribute to her story.

Instead, Clark walked over to the couch and rested a hand on one of the arm rests. Seconds later the couch collapsed to the floor, surprising everyone in the room. "See mom? It was very unstable."

"Oh." Martha replied staring at the rubble that was once her couch while being led by Lana over to one of the collapsible chairs that were in the middle of the piles of hair.

Chloe shot Clark a look of aggravation and told him her disapproval in a voice that only he could hear. "Could you have made it any more obvious? Stop breaking furniture before Lana and Lois figure out your secret!"

Clark looked back at Chloe submissively and shrugged his shoulders as she stormed off after Lana and his mother. Lois stared at Clark in awe. "How did you do that?" she asked incredulously.

"Uh…it was already weak on this side so it didn't take much to collapse it. It was nothing really." Clark explained quickly trying to brush off the incident.

"Good thinking Smallville. I never thought you were the furniture destroying type." Lois smirked as she followed Chloe.

"Really Lois, I didn't think it was going to collapse like that. I was just trying to make it lean to one side a little."

Lois turned and smiled at him for the first time since their awkward awakening. "Chill, Smallville. You saved us from further embarrassment. It isn't a bad thing."

"I just didn't want you to think…"

"What? That you couldn't control your own strength or something? Don't worry Kent, I know better." Lois laughed while patting him on the shoulder.

Clark smiled weakly back at her. "Uh...yeah."

Deep down, he was actually happy that things were lighthearted between them. He didn't think it would last much longer though. Whatever they had done last night was going to uproot any friendship that they had previously struggled to have. Even though he didn't want to admit it, Clark was dreading the aftermath of whatever had happened between them the night before. Something deep inside of him ached at the thought of not being able to see and participate in friendly banter with Lois.

Once the four inhabitants of the destroyed Kent home sat down far away from the couch, they began to try to think of how they all got so incredibly drunk.

"I remember coming to the farm and watching TV with Chloe. We ate pie, and I casually mentioned needing a haircut." Lana motioned to her new hairdo with disgust. "It looks like I was attacked by a toddler with safety scissors."

"That's clear to me, but I don't remember drinking anything." Chloe contributed.

"Yeah, I remember you girls watching TV; I fed Shelby, and decided to get something from the kitchen. Everything after that is a complete void." Martha added exasperated.

"What do you remember Lois?" Chloe asked turning to her cousin.

"I remember working in the library with Clark, driving home alone because Clark wanted to pick up groceries. I got to the farm and went upstairs for something. Everything else is a blur."

"I remember working in the library, Lois went home, and I cleaned up and went to get the groceries." Clark spoke while thinking hard about his whereabouts that night.

"Do you remember coming home after you went for the groceries?" Martha asked.

"I don't think so. I remember falling asleep." Clark answered.

"You fell asleep? Smooth Smallville, where did you sleep, in the middle of the road?" Lois asked skeptically.

"No, I fell asleep on a hill. I was looking up at the sunset. The sky was so beautiful, and was the lightest shade of pink." Clark answered.

"Pink?" Lana asked curiously. "It usually isn't pink at sunset, more of a magenta."

Chloe raised her eyebrows at Lana's comment. "Wow, big difference. Why does the color of the sky matter?"

"It was really pink. It reminded me of an Easter egg. I must have fallen asleep while the sun was setting. Then I woke up and came home." Clark continued his story.

"What time was it when you got home?" his mother asked.

"The sun had set. I think it could only have been one or two hours after I fell asleep. I woke up and I figured you guys would be worrying. I had this bad feeling. I can't put my finger on it. Something wasn't right."

"Can you be any more vague Smallville? Why did you feel bad? Was it like a stomach bug bad, a depressed bad, or a paranoid "I'm being watched" kind of bad?" Lois pressed.

"I guess it was paranoia. Being watched…I think you're right. There was someone watching me."

"On the hill?" Chloe asked.

"No, in the library." Clark's memories started to fall into place.

"The library?" Lois asked perplexed. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"You had already left. It was this guy, Simon."

"Who's Simon?" Lana interrupted.

"It was this guy. He sent me an instant message asking me if I was bored. He said he could see me. He was really strange, and started talking about a chemical, and playing a game with him. Simon Says." Clark remembered everything all in one final jolt.

As soon as the words left Clark's lips Lois's hands began to shake violently.

"Lois, sweetie, what's wrong?" Martha tried to comfort her.

Lois's eyes filled with recollection as she stared at Clark. "I remember. It was this voice telling me what to do. I had no control. It hurt me if I didn't listen. It felt like someone else was controlling my body and I was just along for the ride. It felt horrible." Lois tried to stop her hands from shaking, but failed miserably.

Clark continued recounting what he remembered while glancing sympathetically at Lois. "I came home and the music was playing and all of the lights were on. Lana was cutting my mother's hair, the bottles were everywhere, and you were all acting drunk." As Clark spoke everything seemed to sink back in to Lana and Martha's memories. "Chloe was jumping up and down on the couch asking for a haircut." Clark stopped when Chloe gasped and grabbed at her blue hair.

"He told me that I had to jump." Chloe tried to explain sadly. "I wasn't allowed to say no."

"I was supposed to be a French hairstylist." Lana spoke fearfully and yet still confused. "I couldn't fight it. He was so strong."

"I made pizza?" Martha spoke in a question of her own delirious actions. "Why?"

Lois looked up and stared directly into Clark's eyes as her own eyes filled with tears. "I went upstairs and he told me to put on the dress. I didn't want to listen, but it hurt so badly. It felt like my head was going to explode. He told me to go downstairs to dance and wait." Lois stopped herself as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Clark immediately leaned over to comfort her. It hurt to see her in such emotional pain. Lois fell into his chest and continued to shake at the memories that had been invoked. "I was so afraid, but he made me wait."

"Wait for what?" Lana asked.

Lois lifted her head from Clark's chest and looked him directly in the eye. "Clark."

"Why did you have to wait for Clark?" Martha asked perplexed.

"To distract him." Chloe concluded.

"No." Clark answered. "It was something else."

"Then what?" Chloe persisted.

"Last night Lois told me that it was all a game." Clark answered and Lois nodded in agreement. "I think he wanted to show me what he could do. I didn't believe him in the library, so he wanted to prove that he could hurt me."

"What do you think he wants to do?" Lana asked fearfully.

"I don't know. As soon as Lois said Simon Says, the music stopped, the lights went out, and I lost all control. He must have taken control of my mind too. I remember feeling powerless, but when I tried to resist I was overwhelmed with this lack of concern. It was like I didn't care."

"You were seduced." Lois whispered shakily. "He didn't want you to care. He used me to suppress any desire to fight him. You couldn't win. I felt the same way when I wanted to stop dancing. I was afraid, but I felt all of these other emotions that I couldn't control. I had this energy, this lust that was overpowering."

"What are we going to do?" Lana and Chloe asked simultaneously.

"I don't know. He said the game's just begun. I doubt we have seen the last of him." Clark responded with a surge of dread for the uncertainty of all of their futures. Life was about to change and it would never be the same again.


	3. Confrontations

**Simon Says**

**_Chapter 3_**

_**Confrontations**_

The silence that enveloped the Kent home was oppressive to each of the inhabitants. Chloe and Martha Kent were zoning out into space, completely oblivious to their surroundings. Lana sat rocking back and fourth while playing with her choppy haircut. Lois was uncharacteristically emotionless and sat still while staring at her shaking hands. Even Shelby sat listlessly on the floor not moving from a spot in the sun where dozing was easy and warm. It was Clark who finally broke the silence.

"Chloe where's your laptop?" he asked while standing up and searching through the bottles on the floor. A bottle went skidding across the floor and bonked Shelby on the head. Shelby groaned in protest at the disturbance, but refused to move, due to the excessive amount of alcohol that Chloe had given the mutt the night before. Shelby was having a doggy hangover.

"It isn't there. I think I left it upstairs. Why?" Chloe answered, shaking herself out of the self-induced trance.

"Why wait to be attacked? Clark wants to find out what the creep wants." Lois spoke, looking a little livelier than moments before.

Before Chloe could stand up, Clark had already gone up the stairs to search for the laptop. Minutes later he was back, laptop in hand. Chloe flipped it open and handed it to Clark so he could log on.

Screen Name: Smallville

Password:

Clark turned to glare at the four staring woman behind him. "Excuse me?"

"Get over it Smallville. You can change your precious password later. Just log on." Lois snapped.

Clark sighed as he received equal looks of irritation from Lana, Chloe, and his mother. "Fine."

Password:

"Real original." Lois muttered as Clark finished typing his password.

Clark shot her an irritated glare and Chloe burst into a fit of laughter.

"What?" Chloe asked as she too received the glare. "It was funny." she tried to reason with him.

Before the conversation could continue any further, a new instant message popped up on the screen.

_**Simon: Hello Mr. Kent. Have an interesting night?**_

Everyone's eyes opened wider at the appearance of Simon's mocking words. They all huddled closer to Clark and the laptop to see what their tormentor would say next. Clark felt a surge of anger stir deep within his chest. He knew Simon had caused their actions, he just didn't know how or most importantly why.

_**Smallville: What do you want from us Simon?**_

Clark waited in dreaded anticipation for Simon's response.

_**Simon: Why would you think I wanted something from you?**_

Before Clark could type a heated response, Lois swiped the laptop from his hands and typed her own angry message.

_**Smallville: Cut the crap asshole, what do you want?**_

Clark smiled appreciatively at Lois's ability to type exactly what he had desperately wanted to when he saw Simon's response.

_**Simon: I thought we could be pleasant about this. I suppose not. Miss Lane I suggest you let Mr. Kent do the typing for now.**_

Lois's face filled with confusion. Chloe pulled her gaze from the computer and looked around the room for some possible explanation for how Simon was seeing them. Martha also looked up and mouthed to Chloe "How?" Clark rested his hand on Lois's arm and gently took back the laptop. Lois nodded at him mutely, confusion still present in her features. Before Clark could begin to ask Simon where he was, Simon sent another message.

_**Simon: I see just about everything. Your safest bet is doing what I say.**_

_**Smallville: Why are you doing this?**_

_**Simon: It is all a game of power Mr. Kent. You of all people should know that by now. **_

Martha and Chloe knew exactly what these words could be referring to and exchanged worried glances behind the backs of Lana and Lois. Clark tensed briefly before typing a response while hoping that Simon hadn't somehow learned his secret.

_**Smallville: I don't know what you are talking about.**_

_**Simon: Sure you do. Life is all one big game. Whoever has the most power is the victor. Now, I have power over you and everyone else you care about and there is nothing you can do about it. **_

"This man is seriously power hungry." Lois inferred. "Why does he think competing with you will give him more power? Does he have a farm boy destroying complex?" Lois shot Clark a curious look, waiting for an explanation. Lana also looked up from the laptop. "Lois has a point there Clark. What makes you so special?"

Clark stared at the girls blankly. "I have no idea what he wants. If I knew I wouldn't be sitting here and talking to him. I'm as lost as you all are." Clark shrugged as he observed that neither looked very convinced. "Fine, let's ask the man and see if he can enlighten us.

_**Smallville: What do you have against me? What have I ever done to you?**_

_**Simon: It is nothing you've done. It is everything you can possibly do. **_

Martha and Chloe's fears were confirmed. Simon was speaking far too enigmatically for him to not have something sinister up his sleeves about Clark's powers. He had to know. To everyone else Clark was a simple farm boy. Simon spoke as if Clark had the power to establish world peace. The question was how did he know about Clark and why was he seeking him out now?

_**Smallville: I don't even know who you are. What can I possibly do to you? **_

_**Simon: I am just taking precautionary measures. Eliminate the competition before it becomes a threat. There is nothing you can do to stop me and if you try I will make your life a living hell. **_

"He sounds pleasant." Lois's voice was laced in sarcasm. "Seriously, why does he think you are a threat? Why must you be _eliminated_?" Martha turned towards her son and gave him a concerned look. This Simon person wasn't joking and it appeared that Clark's secret and everyone else's wellbeing was now in jeopardy.

Clark shook his head in frustration. "So basically he wants me to suffer as much as possible so he can enjoy the show, only before he then proceeds to try and kill me. He is talking about everything so calmly, like we're supposed to accept it and move on with our lives. This is a mind controlling psycho maniac we are talking about here."

Chloe placed her hand on Clark's shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, it's going to be okay. We've faced meteor freaks, psychos, and murderers before. We'll figure it out. When have we ever let the bad guys win?"

"We've never fought someone who could get into our heads before." Clark retorted.

"We'll figure something out Smallville. There's got to be a way." Lois patted him on the back. "We can't do anything constructive until you stop brooding though."

Clark gave her a haggard smile and turned to continue his conversation with Simon.

_**Smallville: What are we supposed to do? You expect us to sit by and wait until you get into our heads again? **_

_**Simon: I suggest that you all sit back and relax while you can. The lovely ladies should go and get their hair fixed, and go about their business. You will want them to be ready when the game continues. You, Mr. Kent, should seriously think about how you live your life. I think your potential to help the world will be somewhat short-lived. **_

Lois felt a new wave of anger flash over her. How dare this jerk tell them to ignore the fact that he's using them as puppets? She clenched her fists in rage. She was Lois Lane. She did not let people walk all over her without a fight. His threat to Clark also struck her deep. Lois couldn't understand why she felt so strongly against the threat. She reasoned that after their night together, it was logical that her feelings towards Clark might be a little stronger than before. She knew Clark was not to blame for the incident, and was actually more concerned that it might seriously damage their friendship. She liked Clark, and she didn't want anything bad to happen to him. What Lois didn't comprehend was the feeling of uncontrollable dread and anguish that stirred deep in her chest as soon as she saw the word 'short-lived'.

Martha was also disturbed by Simon's choice of words. It gave her this bad, ominous feeling. She didn't want that feeling, especially when it came to Clark's life. Clark however, let the words bounce off of him without a second thought. His ultimate concern was for his family and friends. To him everything else was irrelevant, even his own safety.

_**Smallville: We aren't going to let you dictate our lives. We are going to find you and stop whatever you are doing. Just wait.**_

_**Simon: Stubbornness is not the best quality to have in this situation my friends. It will cause you all a great deal of pain. Don't think for one second that I don't know what you are thinking. I can tap into your deepest inner thoughts at a moments notice. I will use your fears and insecurities against you to make each of you suffer if you defy my commands. **_

Each person staring at the laptop knew just how dangerous their thoughts could be. It was frightening what could be used against them. They each felt exposed. What was once something safe from other's prying had now become open to a man that had only ill intentions. Things could get very precarious. No person wants to lose the security of their own thoughts. It seemed unfathomable that a person could violate the safety of another person's inner thoughts.

_**Smallville: I don't believe you. **_

_**Simon: Oh, don't you. Well from my brief stay in your mind I learned of certain weaknesses that can be used against you. You care so deeply for your mother and your friends. Your concern can easily be used against you.**_

Clark grimaced and stared at the people he loved that surrounded him. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to them because of his powers.****

_**Smallville: That isn't proof. Just about anyone can figure out that I care about my friends and family. **_

_**Simon: I am not anyone. You will learn that soon enough. I am warning you Mr. Kent, the game has just begun. I knew your dirty little secret long before I got into your head. I am not afraid to make your life miserable. Your mind is your enemy now. You can't hide from your thoughts. Emotions can be too powerful, even for you Mr. Kent. **_

_**Smallville: Go to hell.**_

_**Simon: The hell will come to you. I have only begun to play. **_

_**User Simon has signed off**_

"Dirty little secret?" Lana stared at Clark interested.

"What was he talking about Clark?" Lois asked.

Chloe glanced between Clark, Lois and Lana. Things did not look good for Clark. She waited in a weird sense of anticipation to see if he would tell them. There didn't appear to be any other way around their curiosity. _'Please don't give them some lame excuse. Don't make things worse.'_ she pleaded with him in her thoughts.

Clark didn't give them a lame excuse. He gave them no excuse at all. He looked between the two inquisitive girls with pain in his eyes. He fled from the room leaving everyone else in even more confusion.

It took only seconds before Lois stood up and ran after him. The conversation was not over yet.

Unsure of what he could possibly say, and unwilling to say anything that could put Lois or Lana in any more danger than they were already in, Clark felt trapped. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt someone he cared about. However, as he ran to the loft in some desperate search for an escape, Clark knew that leaving their questions unanswered would only make things worse. If Lois and Lana distrusted him, it would make it even harder to prevent Simon from using his mind control on them. Simon had placed Clark in the first of many difficult situations that were yet to come. Clark was hesitant about whether or not he would be able to handle the trials that were sure to be imminent.

Clark hurled himself down on the couch in the loft and buried his head beneath a cushion. The day's drama was overwhelming and if it was possible, Clark was sure he was getting a headache. _'How could that be possible? I haven't been exposed to any Kryptonite. Or have I? Nothing makes sense anymore. How is Simon able to get into my head? How does he know about my powers? Is he reading my mind right now?'_ Clark didn't feel any different. He wondered if he would know if Simon was reading his thoughts. Maybe Simon had to be in control to read people's minds.

He groaned loudly in frustration. Yes, he definitely had a headache. Just when he thought things couldn't get much worse, Kryptonite had to get involved. There was no other explanation for his current headache except maybe a hangover. Since when had alcohol ever affected him before? _'What if…? Maybe…'_ Clark was just about to get off the couch and run inside to examine the wine coolers and determine if his suspicions were true when he felt a gentle hand on his back.

"Hey." Lois's voice erased his previous thoughts. He felt so torn. She was a person who he could talk to without feeling pressured or awkward, which was something he really needed. However, she was also the girl who slept with him the previous night because she was under mind control. How would that not make things awkward? She also was in the dark about his secret and had reasons to be suspicious and angry with him. Clark was undecided about whether or not he should hug her for being a calming factor in his now even crazier life, or push her away to prevent her from becoming even more of a target.

Clark wouldn't make a mistake this time. Pushing Lois away wouldn't help anyone. Actually it would probably hurt them both and damage an already strained friendship. Clark lifted his head from the pillow. "Hey." he said softly with some embarrassment for the way he had just run out of the living room.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently, concern evident in all of her features. Her eyes were filled with tenderness. Her soft smile was empathetic and reassuring at the same time. She just made him feel a wave of calm relief. The world was still turning, the sky didn't fall, and time didn't stand still. She was there to help him through the madness that had seeped into both of their lives.

"Do I need to answer that question?" he smiled back at her briefly.

"Do you want to talk?"

"Maybe."

"You aren't going to make this easy on me are you Kent?" Lois smirked.

"Does it look like things are going to be easy anymore?" Clark retorted.

"Can you honestly tell me when things have been easy? This is life. We can either sit here brooding about it or we can go out and fight. If we fight what hurts us, at least we can say that we tried. I know it isn't much, but it seems like we get a chance to make a change that way. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to let someone I don't even know come in and make me a slave. I'm ready to fight no matter what it takes." Lois replied.

"You shouldn't have to fight. This guy is after me. He's trying to hurt me by hurting people I care about. I should be the one that has to fight, not you, not Chloe, Lana, or my mom. It should be me." Clark protested.

"You think that if something happens that you'll be to blame." Lois concluded.

"Why wouldn't I be to blame?"

"Clark, you are the most sincerest, loving, and sweetest guy that I have ever met. I don't know if it matters to you, but it does to me. We might not be the best of friends but I know you would never try to hurt me. You would never let anything bad happen to me either. Try as you might, I still can get hurt. Bad things still happen. If something bad happens you have to know that I would never blame you. I know the kind of person you are, and I would never have reason to blame you." Lois grabbed his hands to strengthen her response.

"That is it though, Lois! You don't know me." Clark shot back angrily pushing her hands away from his. He couldn't let her make him feel better when he knew she didn't know the whole story. If she only knew why they were being targeted. If she knew why, she wouldn't be so ready to remove the blame from him.

Lois was shocked at his outburst and folded her hands in her lap dejectedly. Clark couldn't stand to look at the hurt expression on her face. He had pushed her away even though he tried so hard not to.

Lois's hurt expression grew to anger. She slapped Clark in the face as hard as she could making his head fly back. She was too angry to care. "Then why won't you let me know you? Am I not good enough for your precious secrets? You can't trust me? No, you'd rather I live in ignorance so you can maintain your superhero complex. It isn't your responsibility to save everyone!" Lois's anger overwhelmed her. She had known she was angry about Clark's rejection of her support, but she hadn't realized how angry she actually was until she began to vocalize it. Now, the more she spoke, the angrier she felt. He had hurt her. She wanted to help and he hurt her.

"You spend your days here moping around, throwing yourself a pity party, when all I ever wanted to do was be your friend. You push everyone away. And that's what you are doing to me now. You're pushing me away so I won't hurt you and your secret. Fine! Don't worry Clark. I get the big picture. You don't want my friendship. You don't want to get hurt. You don't want to be blamed for anyone else getting hurt. Guess what? You hurt me, and I hope you take the blame and feel the guilt because hopefully it will help you see what you are doing to yourself and everyone else around you."

"Lois…" Clark started, feeling immensely guilty over how he had reacted to her kindness and for making her feel like he didn't want her friendship.

"Don't Lois me! I came out here because I saw the pain in your eyes. I cared. I wanted to help _you_. I don't know what I was thinking. You clearly could care less about what happens to my feelings."

"Lois…"

"Just don't Clark. I am sorry I bothered you. It won't happen again." Lois spat as she stood up to leave. "I can't believe I ever had feelings for you." she muttered under her breath, thinking that Clark wouldn't hear her.

"Lois wait!" Clark grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the couch. He couldn't let her leave like this. He heard what she had said and it somehow gave him hope that maybe she could understand him. He didn't know if he loved Lois, but he knew that if anything happened to her, he would be broken beyond repair. _'Is that love?'_ he asked himself.

"Let go." Lois said slowly with venom in her voice.

"Not until you listen to what I have to say." Clark replied seriously.

"I think I've heard enough."

"I don't think you have Lois. Did you think that it could be possible that I pushed you away because I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. Can you even comprehend what it's like to know that your actions can easily cost someone their life? I didn't listen and now my father is gone. I couldn't live with myself if the same thing happened to you. So before you start saying I don't care about our friendship maybe you should try to imagine what that friendship means to me. Maybe then you might understand why I want to protect it so badly." Clark took a deep breath before continuing only to be slapped again by Lois.

"It means everything to me! So don't you think for one second that I don't know how important it is! I want you to be able to trust me. I wanted to be able to help you because if your not here, I'm lost." Lois interrupted and closed her eyes tightly while tears flowed steadily down her cheeks.

Clark opened his mouth to speak but stopped and sighed. He put both hands on her cheeks and tilted her head up. "Lois, please look at me. Please?"

"What?" she choked through her tears opening her eyes to find his staring directly into them.

"I don't want to lose you." he stated simply.

"Then don't leave me in the dark. I want to know you. I can't explain it but I remember struggling against Simon's will last night as he forced me to dance and the whole time all I kept thinking was about how I wished I could tell you what I was feeling. I felt so alone and I knew I wouldn't be if I was with you." Lois responded tearfully. "You won't lose me because I can't lose you. I can't let that happen because it would hurt too badly."

"I know Lois. I'm so sorry. I knew something was wrong. I saw it in your eyes when you pleaded with me to dance. I wasn't able to help you. And I'm so sorry."

"Clark, you were helping me. You didn't ignore me when I asked you to dance. You stayed with me and I didn't feel so alone. I don't want you to be sorry."

"You amaze me. Did you know that?" Clark asked still staring deeply into Lois's eyes.

"No, I don't think I did." Lois whispered inching her face closer to his.

"Well now you know." Clark whispered huskily as he claimed her lips with his own. They stayed that way until Lois couldn't hold her breath any longer. Even when they parted, their eyes never strayed from the other's face.

"Lois, I want to tell you. I really do. I trust you with all of my heart. I know you wouldn't hurt me. I just didn't want…"

"You didn't want to put me into any danger. I understand. I don't want you to tell me now. I want you to be completely ready and willing. Please know though, that whenever you do, I will still love you. Nothing will change that." Lois assured.

"You love me?" Clark asked in amazement.

"I never really thought about it before, but I think so. I want to love you."

"I want to love you too Lois. Please don't forget that. I get so stupid sometimes and push away the people I care about most. Please don't let me push you away. "

"I won't. You know I'm far too stubborn to let you get away with something like that." Lois laughed wiping the tears from her face and hugging Clark with all of her strength.

"Does this mean that there is an 'us' now?" Clark asked hopefully.

"You better believe it. Just don't start thinking that I'm going to stop arguing with you now that we might be considered a couple." Lois smirked.

"I definitely won't dare think that." Clark replied smiling.

"Good. I enjoy the banter far too much to let anything disrupt it." Lois added firmly.

"What are we going to tell everyone in the house?" Clark asked curiously.

"I assume that as soon as I went after you, they all went off to fix their appearances. I doubt Chloe likes the blue look very much." Lois answered laughing.

"I suppose so. My mom looked like she wanted to get her 'pizza' off of her face as soon as possible. I doubt Lana wants to keep cat whiskers on her cheeks for much longer either. I do like your hair though." Clark replied while running his fingers through Lois's shorter hair that had long ago fallen out of her ponytail.

"Thanks. I guess." Lois replied smiling, while playing with her short hair. It barely touched her shoulders and with a bit of trimming to get rid of the jagged edges Lana left behind, it could definitely have possibilities. Clark thought it made Lois's eyes stand out even more, but maybe that was because he couldn't help staring at them.

"Lois, I want you to know that whatever happened between us last night, I don't regret one second of it. I know we weren't in control at the time, but don't you think that lack of control was a good thing in this situation?"

Before Lois could answer Martha Kent's voice coursed through the room. "Clark! Clark get out here now! Something's happening. Hurry!" Lois and Clark stared at each other fearfully and squeezed each other's hand. They quickly stood up and raced out of the loft past Shelby who had somehow gotten outside and was laying lazily in a new spot of sun that reached into the barn. It was time to see if they had what it takes to get through Simon's next challenge.


	4. No News Is Good News

**Simon Says**

**_Chapter 4_**

_**No News Is Good News**_

Lois and Clark raced into the house in a state of panic. Had Simon decided to do something sinister already? The front door slammed and they ran towards Martha's voice coming from the living room. They stopped in their tracks. Martha seemed quite upset, but they could see nothing blatantly wrong. She stood transfixed in the middle of the room. She must have taken a shower at some point, because the spaghetti sauce was no longer evident on her hair or face, and she had changed into an old pair of jeans with a light blue t-shirt.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Clark asked concerned.

Chloe and Lana had heard the commotion from upstairs and came running down to see what was going on. As they entered the room they both stared curiously at Martha. What was all the shouting about? Why wasn't she saying anything?

It was then that they all noticed the television screen. The source of Martha's panic could be derived by the images flashing on screen. Martha had turned on the news only to discover that they might not be the only ones affected by Simon's mind control.

Lois, Clark, Lana, and Chloe looked on in rapt attention as a shaky news anchor appeared on screen. The woman looked around at her surroundings apprehensively before speaking to the camera in a falsely cheerful manner.

"Hello everyone. I'm Carmen James filling in for Phil Turner and we are here in Smallville, Kansas where there appears to be a mass outbreak of some sort of hysteria. Multiple citizens of this small Kansas town have become unexplainably altered. Reports of strange actions started flooding in late last night. The police have been too busy to give us any comments, but this appears to be a serious situation."

Carmen became more comfortable in front of the camera and her voice relaxed a little. "The first report was received from a small grocery store, where a customer began throwing random food items across the aisles. This customer then began to open and spill various soft drinks and other liquid products all over the floor. The store manager reported this incident after the deranged customer began to act like a jungle animal and started pouring vegetable oil onto his head."

"We have spoken to the store owner who had to be taken to the local hospital for injuries sustained when the customer and several other passersby began chanting and set the store on fire. We have not been able to learn of the condition of the troublesome customer or if those who assisted in the fire have been arrested, but we will be sure to keep you all aware of any further updates in this startling scenario."

"Furthermore, other equally disturbing reports have also been made. There have been several reported robberies committed by young children. These children were each said to be dressed in Halloween costumes and carrying armed weapons in their candy buckets. The armed children have robbed random people on the streets along with several small stores. If you are currently in Smallville we advise you to stay indoors and if you need to go anywhere, please proceed with caution. These children are armed and considered to be highly dangerous if provoked."

"Animals ranging from household pets such as cats or dogs to farm animals such as horses have also been running amuck in the streets. The animals have stampeded through the streets every hour since sunrise. After they finish stampeding they relax and wander away until the next hour where they continue their hazardous run. Several people have been caught in the stampedes already and have been taken to the local hospital for care and observation."

"With all of these strange incidents and more, we are all left to wonder what is causing them. Nothing seems to be particularly unusual about weather or temperature conditions. In fact, everything seems calm and subdued. There are no clouds in the sky and it is a beautiful sunny day here in Smallville. It can only leave one to wonder what is causing this mayhem. We will be back later to continue pursuing this unusual story. This is Carmen James, over to Ron Andrews with the sports."

As the screen faded to a plump man talking about the latest occurrences in baseball games across America, Martha turned to look at her son. "He's causing it. How else can you explain Smallville citizens and animals completely losing all rationality?"

Lana tentatively spoke up before Clark could respond. "Well, this is Smallville. Weird things tend to happen here. Maybe it's something else." Lana's hopeful smile faded as reality set in and she realized just how far fetched her suggestion was.

"I don't know Lana. This can't just be a coincidence." Chloe replied. As she was still trying to understand the crazy occurrences in Smallville she looked over to Lois, who had been rather quiet since reentering the Kent home. Chloe's eyes widened as her view drifted down to Lois's hand which was firmly secure in Clark's own hand. _'Maybe there was more to Lois and Clark's midnight encounter than they were ready to admit. If they stop arguing long enough to actually listen to each other, they might make a good couple. How cute.'_

"I think Chloe's right. This is just too odd. I doubt it's coincidental." Clark agreed.

"How are we supposed to know for sure?" Lois finally spoke up.

"I'll just have to go into town and find out." Clark replied.

"Well then I'm coming with you." Lois answered tightening her grip on his hand. She wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Lois, I don't think that is the smartest idea. Why don't you stay here with the rest of us. The fewer people on the streets the better." Martha's motherly nature made Lois reluctantly rethink her decision.

"But…" Lois started to complain.

"I'll be back soon. I promise. When I do get back I'll tell you all everything that happened." Clark assured while directing his gaze to Lois's eyes to make sure she understood that he wouldn't break his promise.

"Okay." Lois grumbled. She didn't like that Clark was leaving while chaos was breaking out in the streets. She didn't want him to go. She was actually having a difficult time trying to convince her own hand to let go of his. _'Come on Lane, he will be back before you know it. Everything will be just fine.'_ she told herself but still remained unconvinced.

"How will you know if Simon's behind the incidents?" Lana inquired.

"I'm sure he'll find a way of letting me know for sure. He's enjoying the game far too much for him to not taunt me the whole way through." Clark replied as he pulled his hand away from Lois's and headed for the door.

"Clark." Lois called to him.

"What?" he answered smiling at her.

"You might need a shirt." she laughed. Clark looked down and realized she was right. He blushed and ran upstairs to get one that Lois hadn't torn to shreds. "So much for an emotional goodbye." Clark chuckled to himself.

As Clark, dressed in a red t-shirt and blue jeans ran out the door into the truck, Lois turned away and walked back into the living room. Chloe's eyes followed her sadly. Chloe turned into the house and followed her cousin.

"Lois?" she called out.

"Hey Chlo." Lois answered in a subdued manner.

The two cousins sat down on the collapsible chairs and sighed. Chloe turned and looked Lois straight in the eye. "Lois, are you okay?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" Lois feinted ignorance.

"I don't know. You've just been acting a little strange since this morning. What actually happened between you and Clark?"

Lois sighed heavily. She knew Chloe would ask the dreaded question. To be honest, Lois herself didn't know exactly what had happened. Yesterday she was Lois Lane, the girl who was confident, sure of herself, and didn't need anyone. She was capable of handling the tough problems that came up in her life with relative ease. She didn't cry. She didn't let her emotions gain control of her.

But in just a few hours she had been transformed into someone she barely recognized. She felt so vulnerable. Simon was the one that had gotten into her head. He damaged the security that she felt about her thoughts. He took her control away. He was partially to blame for the sudden emotional change.

Clark was the one that had gotten into her heart. He changed her completely. Lois felt like she needed him. She felt like she actually could love him. She knew she wanted to, but the way he acted sometimes always gave her doubts. Now, after their argument she felt something new. He had this whole other personality that she never knew of before. It made her fall for him even more. She liked it. However, the more Lois fell for Clark Kent, the more it hurt to see him go. Whatever his secret was, it was something big. It was something that could cause a psycho mind controlling maniac to come after them. It scared her that Simon could be watching and could be out there hiding and waiting to _eliminate_ Clark. She wouldn't be able to handle that.

Lois's long pause before speaking spoke louder than her words could ever have. Chloe knew this was big. Lois was in love, or at least on the borders of it.

"What happened between me and Clark?" Lois restated Chloe's question as if making sure she had not misheard.

"Yeah." Chloe nodded.

"Nothing, Chlo. Nothing happened." Lois replied halfheartedly. Lois couldn't be honest with her cousin if she was still unsure of how she felt about what actually happened in the first place. Lying appeared to be the best solution. It would save her from Chloe's emotional analysis.

"Yeah right. Nothing happened. That explains the long, loving glances that you two have been exchanging. That explains how you couldn't stand to watch him drive away. That explains why your eyes look just about ready to flood with tears." Chloe shot back sarcastically with annoyance at her cousin's denial.

"It was sex Chloe. Nothing more. That freak Simon got into our heads and we had sex. Don't make it out to be bigger than it is. It was just sex." Lois stood up and stormed out of the room and up the stairs. _'I need to get a shower. I can't deal with this right now.' _ Lois ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. She couldn't deal with her lies right now.

Chloe's mouth opened in shock. She wanted to speak or to respond in some way to her cousin's outburst, but no words could respond to whatever had just happened. Chloe had never seen Lois freak out like that before. If she didn't know better she would have said that Lois was under Simon's control all over again. But Chloe knew better. Lois wasn't possessed; she was in love and fighting it every step of the way.

Lana and Martha entered the house just as Lois stormed up the stairs. Their eyes followed Lois's path until they heard the bathroom door slam. Lana heard Chloe groan from the living room. Martha turned to Lana. "Did we miss something?"

"I think we should be glad that we did." Lana replied.

Chloe stood up from the chair as Lana and Martha approached to question her. "You don't want to know." Chloe spoke matter-of-factly.

Martha and Lana shrugged. They decided that they didn't. Martha went off to fix the mess in the kitchen leaving Lana staring unsurely at Chloe.

Lana knew that something major had gone on between Lois and Clark. She wasn't oblivious to the way Clark looked at Lois. She had known from the time that she first saw the two of them together that there was definitely a spark between them. She was surprised that they hadn't slept together sooner. Lana's only question now was whether or not being forced to sleep together was going to harm or help the relationship between Lois and Clark.

"I know I'm not supposed to want to know what just happened, but can you at least tell me if Lois is okay? She isn't going to lock herself in the bathroom all day, is she?" Lana asked with concern before adding one last statement to show her discontent with the situation. "I still didn't get to take my shower."

Chloe just groaned again. She walked away muttering to herself not realizing that Lana was still standing there in confusion waiting for a response. "It was just sex." she grumbled. "I highly doubt it!" she yelled loudly in hopes that Lois could hear her. Chloe didn't enjoy being lied to, but what bothered her most was knowing that Lois was lying to herself. Something definitely had happened between her best friend and her cousin the night before, and it wasn't _just_ sex.

It wasn't just sex and Lois knew it. Knowledge doesn't make things easier if you don't acknowledge it. Lois wasn't ready to acknowledge the sex part of her relationship with Clark. It made things complicated and things were already complicated enough without sex making it worse.

'_What is your problem? You flipped out on Chloe for no reason at all. You acted like a complete bitch to one of the few people who actually care about you._ _Chloe was right and you know it. Stop acting like nothing happened. Own up to your emotions Lois. Your erratic emotions are all fine when you are arguing with Clark, but when it comes to actually talking or expressing those emotions in front of everyone else you go and get pigheaded and hurt the people you love. If you don't except your feelings, how are you supposed to interact with people? How are you supposed to interact with Clark? You care about him, you want to be with him, and you think you might actually love the guy, so why are you unwilling to express those emotions to your own cousin? Chloe doesn't care if you have a relationship with Clark and you know it. She'll be supportive and helpful as always. Why are you being so difficult?'_

Lois's own thoughts attacked her as she practically threw herself into the shower. She didn't want to just forget about what had happened between her and Clark the night before. She was relieved that it happened because it opened the doors for a possible relationship with a great guy that she had feelings for even before they had slept together. Lois felt that if she admitted that she and Clark were now a couple, then she would be starting a relationship from the completely opposite end of the spectrum. People don't have sex and then decide to start a slow, open, relationship. Lois feared that she could have set the both of them up for heartbreak later down the road. Her friendship with Clark was so important to her. Lois feared that if something happened in their relationship, it would destroy the way they would see their friendship.

"Why does everything have to be so confusing? I snap at Chloe for asking a question that needed to be asked. I say that I'm falling in love with Clark, but I'm too afraid to act like I'm happy and in a relationship because I can always see it ending badly in some way or another. Nothing good ever stays in my life. I'm so afraid that it will be the same way with Clark. I'm so afraid that I'm going to lose him? Why do I need him so badly? What happened to the strong, independent Lois Lane?"

Things were just too difficult. Lois needed to disengage. The shower's cool water splashed down upon her, chilling her body and temporarily washing away all of her worries and fears. Even as tears splashed down her face, she released a sigh of relief and acceptance as she made up her mind and thought back to what made her love Clark Kent in the first place.

_**I had no choice but to hear you  
You stated your case time and again  
I thought about it**_

Clark Kent came crashing into her life when she had least expected it. She would never have thought that a naked farmboy in the middle of a field could have such a dramatic impact on her life. She knew better now.

_**You treat me like I'm a princess  
I'm not used to liking that  
You ask how my day was**_

His whole personality had thrown her at first. He was such a gentleman with all of these proper morals. He had a hero complex and would never let a day go by where he wasn't brooding over something he could have done to make other people's lives better. His stalker-like devotion to Lana made it clear to her just how much he could offer someone, even when he was getting nothing back in return. Lois had found it hard to believe that throughout all of the bickering that went on between the two of them, that Clark could still be kind enough to care about her life. They were secret friends and that was the way they both liked it.

**_You've already won me over in spite of me  
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet  
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are  
I couldn't help it_**  
**_It's all your fault_**

Lois fondly remembered the time she dunked Clark in the dunking booth. She had laughed at his complete surprise over how she could possibly have hit the target. When he came up to the surface, t-shirt drenched with water, hair dripping and spread chaotically across his forehead, Lois found it difficult to prevent herself from running over and having her way with him in front of everyone. Lois would never to admit it to anyone else, especially to Clark, but she had a soft spot for him from the start. It was his fault. The Kent smile was so damn irresistible.

_**Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole  
You're so much braver than I gave you credit for  
That's not lip service**_

Clark was walking blindly into all sorts of unknown danger. He had no idea what Simon would throw out at him. Lois wanted to smack him silly. _'Why does he have to be so strong and self sacrificing? I was much better off thinking that he sat around in the loft all day brooding over his failed relationship with Lana Lang.'_

Lois thought back to Clark's senior prom. After all of the drama of being possessed by a prom queen wannabe, Lois had stood by the punch bowl and talked casually with Clark.

When he asked her to dance, Lois's heart couldn't help itself. She felt as if it had decided to leap up into her chest to make room for the swarm of butterflies that had made their way into her stomach. However, this was back in the days where Clark's world was spinning solely around Miss Lana Lang. No one could compete.

Reality set in and Lois knew that this dance wasn't for her. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. Clark wanted Lana. Lois rebuked her foolish heart for making her feel like a giddy schoolgirl, even if it was for only a moment. She passed on the dance to the girl it was meant for. Clark never noticed the disappointment in her eyes, Lois was too good at hiding those emotions.

Jealously flooded into her hurting heart and Lois promptly went to Chloe. She spoke of how prom would soon be a distant memory. She told Chloe that Clark would never be able to keep up with the big shot reporter that Chloe was sure to become. In a way, Lois was trying to convince herself of all of these things. If she could just believe the words spilling from her lips, maybe she would've been able to keep up her facade.

Chloe told her that Clark may have more to offer the world than she realized. Chloe had no idea at that time how accurate she was in relation to Lois's mixture of feelings towards the farmboy. Lois had tried to downplay the comment and hid her irritation over how Chloe made it harder for her to push away from Clark. In the end, they both looked on in loneliness while Lana and Clark danced the night away in each other's arms. Her heart had felt empty, but at least it was safe.

Life was much less complicated when Lois was convinced that Clark would always be in love with Lana and that nothing could change his mind. When Clark was unobtainable, he was easier to ignore. The day he went and broke it off with Lana claiming that he didn't love her anymore, Lois's whole security system came crashing to the ground around her. She was exposed to her own raw emotions, and each time she saw Clark, those emotions would threaten to break through the walls around her heart and throw themselves at Clark.

Even days before Simon was a name to be feared, Lois was still unsure of how to act around Clark. She remained as normal as she could possibly be. She hung out with Clark and Chloe whenever possible, even though she always tried to make it appear that being anywhere near Clark was the last place she wanted to be. She even lived in his own house and whenever she ran into him in the hallways or talked to him out in the loft, she always remained the same stubborn Lois who always had to pick on Clark. She felt as if she could never show him her actual feelings because he could never reciprocate them. She waited in silence, never bringing attention to her heart's desires.

_**You've already won me over in spite of me  
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet  
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are  
I couldn't help it  
It's all your fault**_

There was a new freedom involved in freely loving Clark Kent. Lois felt so alive whenever he was near her. Her heart would always beat faster when his hand happened to brush her own. The kiss they had shared in the loft had given her feelings that she had never experienced before. She felt so complete, like she never needed to move again and she would remain content for the rest of her life. Clark Kent made her feel this way. No one would ever have guessed it.

_**You are the bearer of unconditional things  
You held your breath and the door for me  
Thanks for your patience**_

Always a sweetheart. Clark never hurt anyone intentionally. Any caustic remarks were always made in jest and if they were ever misconstrued as something other than lighthearted sarcasm, Clark would always make sure that it was remedied. Forever the Boy Scout. Forever the sweetest guy she would ever meet. Lois couldn't help but smile whenever Clark walked into the room. She always did her best to hide it, but she would still be smiling inside. Clark made life interesting. He dealt with her boyfriend issues and all of the life threatening situations that she had gotten herself into. He saved her life countless times. She would always be thankful for the patience that he must have had to deal with her took his room and disrupted his life.

_**You're the best listener that I've ever met  
You're my best friend  
Best friend with benefits  
What took me so long**_

'_I can't understand why the day I saw him in that field, I didn't know instantly that he was the guy I wanted to be with. Why did I give him such a hard time? Things wouldn't be the way they are now if I would have just listened to my heart from the beginning.'_

'_However, I've made a point. Things wouldn't be the way they are now if I would have done that. If I would have acted any different from the stubborn, wild, sarcastic Lois Lane that I was, I don't think things would have been so powerful between us. If I followed him around like a lovesick puppy, the same way that most girls did seconds after laying eyes on him, he never would have seen my personality. I never would have become close to the person I now consider my best friend. I can tell him anything. I think he's ready to tell me anything too. If I wouldn't of stopped him, he would have told me his secret today in the loft. Clark Kent is my best friend and now he's my boyfriend. Wow, I never thought I would ever be thinking those words. Time can really change people.'_

_**I've never felt this healthy before  
I've never wanted something rational  
I am aware now  
I am aware now**_

'_I love him. I. Love. Him. This is so simple. I don't care what happens because I know that if I can love someone this much, nothing else matters. We'll fight Simon. We can get through any obstacle because now we have each other. Simon didn't weaken our relationship by making us sleep together. He made us stronger by uniting us as one. I don't have to worry about how our relationship started. All I have to know is that Clark will always be there for me and I will always be here for him. We can start our relationship at the opposite side of the spectrum because it won't matter where we start it. Clark won't force me to do anything I'm not ready to do and I won't do that to him. Our relationship isn't based on one messed up night when we were under mind control. It's based upon the bond that we've shared since the day we first met in that cornfield. Nothing else matters.'_

_**You've already won me over in spite of me  
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet  
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are  
I couldn't help it  
It's all your fault**_

Lois finished her shower and the water trickled off of her body leaving trails down her legs. Her short hair was dripping wet and clung to her face. Lois didn't care about her surroundings. If Clark was nearby she was home. Nothing bad could ever happen. Or could it?

_A/N: The song used in this chapter is called head Over Feet by Alanis Morissette. As always I own nothing. Please review. _


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